Six Pack- Week 4

Each week during the 2024 college football season Draft Nation will take a look at six players who helped their draft stock with solid performances. As the season progresses, Draft Nation will start to zoom in on first round talent.

Here is the six pack from this past week:

Miami Fla- Quarterback, Cameron Ward

This is Cam Ward’s second time on Draft Nation's six-pack list in 2024 and he is also the leader out of the gate for the Heisman trophy with his play early in the campaign. 

Against South Florida this past weekend, Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another 43 yards on the ground in a 50-15 victory. So far this season, Ward leads the FBS in passing yards with 1,439 and in touchdown passes with 14. 

The Washington State transfer continues to open up eyes and has improved his draft stock in the latest mock drafts. Entering this season, Ward was considered a fourth-fifth round option, but with his lively arm and improved footwork he is ascending up draft boards. The Hurricanes are 4-0 and ranked No. 7 in the country. Ward has a chance to lead Miami to the playoffs in a down season for the ACC.

Utah- Running Back, Micah Bernard

Utah was without their veteran quarterback Cameron Rising, so sixth-year running back Micah Bernard stepped up and helped out true freshman signal caller Isaac Wilson, by rushing for 182 yards over 25 carries in a huge 22-19 Utah victory at Oklahoma State. 

Bernard is a late round prospect who has rushed for 456 yards in four games. His previous career high was 533 yards in 2022. He has quality straight line speed but plays in a wide open spread offense and does not cut well and is always looking to just take on contact instead of avoiding it. 

Clemson- Quarterback, Cade Klubnik

Clemson junior quarterback Cade Klubnik is starting to find his rhythm after the disastrous week one tilt against Georgia. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns and added 70 yards on the ground, including a 55-yard touchdown run in their 59-35 win over ACC rival N.C. State. 

Klubnik has an NFL arm, but is still struggling to trust what he sees in his progressions and has been prone to head scratching decision-making. If Klubnik decides to enter the NFL draft this season, Draft Nation projects him as a mid-round pick and coming back to Clemson for his senior season should improve his draft stock for 2026.

Florida- Quarterback, Graham Mertz

The Florida Gators snapped a seven-game losing streak against Power Four conference opponents, picking up its first win since October 14, 2023.

Sixth-year quarterback Graham Mertz was almost perfect on the day, completing 19 of 21 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for one score. Mertz is comfortable running a quick offense with short passes and high tempo. He struggles with ball placement and he does not do a sufficient job of anticipating routes and leading his receivers. 

Mertz could be a late draft pick in 2025 and Draft Nation projects him as a third-string quarterback for an NFL team. He struggled as a starter in Wisconsin and they played more of an NFL type offense. 

Michigan- Edge Rusher, Josaiah Stewart

The game plan for the Michigan Wolverines this past weekend against USC was to make quarterback Miller Moss uncomfortable, and Josaiah Stewart did just that. Stewart had four tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble in helping Michigan comeback in their last minute 27-24 victory. 

At 6-foot-1 Stewart is a bit undersized but makes up for that with his speed and tenacity coming off the edge. He does an effective job in coverage which may offer some versatility for a defensive coordinator at the next level. 

Draft Nation has Stewart slated for a mid-round selection and he could be a nice addition to a defensive unit.

Florida State- Edge Rusher, Patrick Payton

The Florida State Seminoles finally got into the win column with a 14-9 victory over California. Redshirt junior edge rusher Patrick Payton helped make this happen with his dominating performance against the Golden Bears. 

In the game Payton collected five tackles, 3.5 for a loss and three sacks. The 6-foot-5 250 lb. prospect has an unlimited ceiling and the length, speed and athleticism that NFL teams fall in love with. He can be a disruptive force who can get underneath tackles and cause teams to double team him. 

Payton should go in the first round next April and could hear his name called in the top 15 players coming off the draft board. Watch out for his combine workouts in March as he could become the big riser in pre-draft mocks.